Question

What can we do if our baby hates riding in the car?

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My 2 1/2-month-old hates the car. The crying begins as soon as I start driving. We've tried everything: adjusting the straps, using a blanket, not using a blanket, hanging toys from the handle ... nothing works. Occasionally he'll cry himself to sleep, but for the most part driving with him is a nightmare. Could he have motion sickness? What else can I do?

Mom Answers

"My son in 2 months old and hates the infant carrier. He is a very happy baby, but as soon as I place him in the carrier he starts to fuss and cry. I am not sure if this is true or not, but several people have mentioned to me that he might hate riding backwards. I am hoping this is only a phase. I was wondering if infants hate car carriers more or car seats. I don't know if it is just the seat.

My 4 month old has hated his carseat since he was about 8 weeks old. He screamed for 45 minutes until we got home and I got him out of his seat and he has been screaming in the seat ever since then. I have tried blankets, pacifiers (holding them in while I'm driving b/c he refuses to take one), music, mirrors, lights, etc... The only thing I haven't tried is the windows down, which I will try next. It makes going anywhere very hard and my other two children are now becoming annoyed with the crying. Hopefully some of the other suggestions will work. We will try anything at this point!!!!

My daughter is 7.5 months old and started to cry in the car a couple of weeks ago. I thought it might be that she has about 4 or 5 teeth trying to come in at the same time. I can't understand it as we didn't have this problem all along. She actually cried and screamed so hard one day that she started to choke. I had to pull over to see if she was ok and at the same time another couple saw I was in trouble and called 911. I appreciate their help, but this is very frustrating. I am a working mom and only have a couple of hours in the evenings sometime to get my errands done. Right now, I dread a car ride.

I have a 6 momth old baby boy. he is usually great in the car, however when it comes dark and me or my husband are driving him he starts to flip out. most of the time if we are in the high way we have to pull over and console him and that still does not work. i have been trying to find some answers of what might be wrong, but havent found anything yet.
i came across this bulletin posting and was wondering if you guys have any idea, of what might be wrong with him. please let me know if i can do anything at all. thanks

My 7 week old "screams her head off" (as my 5 year old likes to say) EVERYTIME we go ANYWHERE in the car! I have also tries everything- music, windows down, toys, mirrors, etc. I really want to know WHY some babies do this! My other two LOVED the car! Other moms whose babies do this - do they not like to sleep on their backs also? Maybe it IS a gas thing. She's okay in the swing - she likes that motion but not the car seat. We have a LONG car trip, California to Colorado, planned for August and I don't think we can do it if she doesn't stop crying. It really just ROCKS my nerves and I start sobbing! It is the worst feeling! Any suggestions - please! Email me at qsix@comcast.net.

I read through these comments a couple of months ago after getting home from the grocery store with my nerves shot from my 3 mo. old's screaming. ("But babies are supposed to LIKE car rides." How many times have y'all heard that?) A number of posts said not to worry, that babies grow out of it. Now at 6 months old all car rides are not easy, but most are much easier. Our daughter has decided that she likes Raffi, and will complain at times until we put it on. (We now know all the words do Down By the Bay and Baby Beluga.) Other times she will fall asleep. Occasionally she will cry just like the old times. And other times she will chat to herself and play with the special car toys that we have for her. ...I post this to give another glimmer of hope for those of you who can't go ANYwhere without your baby screaming in back. That's how it was for us not too long ago. I, too, maintain hope that it will continue to get easier to travel with our little one.

My 3 month old screams every time she's in the car. The 30 minute ride to daycare and then home can get stressful. I tried using earplugs, which takes the edge off a little. Then one morning I had to bathe her before going to daycare. She slept the whole way! Now I give her a bath in the morning instead of evening (and if she stays awake the whole time I'm getting ready for work, even better). She may start to fuss a little, but I reach in the back seat and give her a pacifier and help her hold it until she falls asleep and so far it is working! Now, if she'd sleep on the way home....

My daughter was an excellent rider for 5 months and then...it hit! Her cries are so loud people on the street look into the car wondering what we are doing to our baby. She spits up and turns bright red...but not on every car ride! Sometimes she is perfect...you never know. I hope she grows out of it b/c even trips down the road can be a nightmare for me. It is scary.

I'm so glad we are not alone! Our 3 month old screams all the way to daycare, all the way home, and anywhere else we go! I've tried the big mirror with lights and music, draping a colorful shirt or blanket across the handle of the carseat, toys, white noise cd's, every style music you can think of. Nothing works! Any suggestions or just want to talk: wyrosjf@hotmail.com

My 7-month old does not mind riding in the car. The only problem we are having is protecting her face from the sun. She will soon be too big to be using the carrier which makes it easy to clip on a receiving blanket. Suggestions, please.

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